1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing device and a control method of the printing device that uses time data as control data for managing printing data.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There has been provided a conventional printing device including a clock integrated circuit (IC). In this type of printing device, when document data is received or when errors occur, time information is retrieved from the clock IC and stored as a part of log information. Then, the time information is used for managing printing processes or error processes.
Specifically, when a plurality of document data are spooled, the document data are printed based on the log information on in an order in which the document data were received. Also, the spooled document data are deleted based on the log. information at a specified time.
Further, when an error occurs during when document data is being processed, time information is read from the clock IC and stored as the log information. As a result, by referring to the log information, it can be determined during which document data was being processed when the error occurred. This simplifies processes for investigating the cause of the error.
However, because a clock IC is expensive, the clock IC is only offered as an option to users. Accordingly, the above-described log function is not available to the users without a clock IC, in spite of the fact that the printing device itself is capable of possessing the log function. As a result, these printing devices cannot always perform effective error processing or effective printing processing, and are sometimes prevented from performing optimally.